


Two of a Kind

by BionicRagdoll



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2003)
Genre: Gen, Male-Female Friendship, No Romance, TMNT, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-15
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-19 07:18:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10634985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BionicRagdoll/pseuds/BionicRagdoll
Summary: A girl from our dimension falls through a portal and befriends the turtles but her presence in the dimension spells trouble for the Hamato clan and even in this new dimension she cannot escape her past.





	1. Chapter 1

The old paved road wound out before her like a grey and yellow ribbon. Her red hair blew freely in the rushing wind. Occasionally a bug hit her in the face and left a stinging red mark. She only smiled and shook her head as the sped up around a sharp turn. This was her favorite feeling in the world, just her and her motorcycle exploring back roads and small tucked away towns that the world had forgotten. Out here, alone she could be herself without pretense or expectations.

  
Wind rushed over her bare arms as she careened around another s-bend. It led her to a straightaway canopied in flame covered leaves. She was so distracted by the beauty of the scene that she failed to realize that the road had run out. A flash of white light blinded her causing her to hit the brakes in a panic. When she could see again the trees were replaced with towering sky scrapers and squat brick apartment buildings. Dead ahead was another motorcycle. They swerved to avoid each other at the same time. The sudden motion caused her to lose control, the front wheel began to wobble and she was sent skidding across the pavement. For a moment all she could to was lay there in agony and try to assess the damage. Her left arm and shoulder were most definitely broken, and she could feel the extensive road rash begin to cover her arms and face. Wet sticky blood matted her hair to her head. With a groan she managed to sit up, her entire body protesting the action.

  
At the other end of the street she saw the other motorist lying face up on the pavement. She forced herself to stand up; the fact that the world was spinning around her and the ground felt like the rocking deck of a ship turned the simple action into a herculean task, and limped over to him. As she got closer she noticed that there was something strange about the man that she had run off the road. His skin was a dark forest green, and he had what was unmistakably a shell. Her ragged breath quickened as the brain tried to process this information. It was not a man lying in the middle of the street but a man-sized turtle. She knelt beside him and checked for a pulse. The slow, steady rhythm throbbed under her fingers, reassuring her that he was still alive even if he wasn't conscious. Tucked into his belt, miraculously unharmed, was a cell phone.

  
Right as she was about to reach for it it began ringing. With trembling fingers she plucked it from his belt, "H-hello?"

  
Silence for a moment and then, "Who is this and why do you have my brother's phone?" To her surprised the voice had no hint of anger or accusation, only curiosity and concern.

  
She took a deep breath in an attempt to steady herself, "There was an accident. He's okay…I think. He's breathing and nothing looks broken but he's unconscious."

  
"Okay, just stay calm. My brothers and I will come to you. Where are you right now?" The calm assertiveness in his voice helped ease her panic.

  
She looked around trying to find a street sign or land mark while ignoring the pain shooting through her head. "We're at the corner of…seriously? Eastman and Laird."

  
"Okay," He said again, "Just stay where you are. We'll be there in just a few minutes and if Raph wakes up tell him we're on our way and to not move." Before waiting for a confirmation he hung up, leaving only dead air in her ear.

  
With nothing to do but wait for help she began examining Raph's injuries in an attempt to take her mind off her own. The road rash stood out against his green skin while bits of black asphalt were embedded into his plastron. On the surface none of his bones appeared broken, and she hoped that the helmet had done its job in protecting his head.

  
A few agonizing minutes later a large armored truck turned the corner and came to a halt behind her, blocking the narrow street and three more turtles climbed out of the vehicle. She had barely enough time to scramble out of the way before they charged to their brother's side. Don carefully removed Raph's helmet and used the small pen light in his med kit to check his pupil dilation before checking for any other serious injuries. After a thorough examination, the purple clad turtle turned to his brothers, "He's fine. The impact knocked him unconscious but he'll wake up in a couple of hours, probably feeling like he just went head to head with Shredder."

  
Leo's shoulder's sagged in relief, "Come on we should get him home before anyone sees us." Donnie nodded in agreement and helped get Raph into the back of the Battle Shell.

  
Mikey watched the two load his older brother into the back of the vehicle before he noticed another figure huddled next to the driver's side door. "Hey," he walked up to her and extended his hand, "you okay dudette?"

  
She looked up at him and for the first time in his life he did not see fear in a stranger's eyes, "Concussion, broken bones. Everything is spinning..." Her voice broke off as she clutched her head harder as though it would make the pain stop.

  
It was only then that he noticed the dark stain where her hand was that could only be blood. "Hey Don," His voiced contained a touch of fear, "Raph's going to be okay right?"

  
"Of course Mike. He just needs a place to lay down until he regains consciousness. Why...?" He poked his head out of the back of the truck and looked to where his little brother was pointing. "Oh." Without another word he climbed out of the Battle Shell and walked over to her. "Mind if I take a look?"

  
She attempted to nod her head but stopped when the pain made her vision go black. Donnie shined his flashlight into the wound on her head. "We need to get you to a hospital. Your skull could be fractured, not to mention other internal injuries." He turned to his orange masked brother. "Mikey help her in back. I'll drop her off at the nearest hospital on the way home. Then you take her motorcycle back to the lair. Leo will take Raph's."

  
"You got it dude." Mikey said, giving his brother a thumbs up. He knelt down next to their new friend and attempted to put his arm around her back.

  
To his surprise she pushed his arm away slightly. "Don't need help." She murmured as her braced herself against the side of the Battle Shell and attempted to pull herself up with the arm that wasn't broken.  
Once again a spasm went through her head and she doubled over. Instinctively Mikey reached out to catch her. "Whoa take it easy. Let me help you."

  
With a resigned sigh she leaned on him as he guided her to the back of the truck. "Thank you Michelangelo," The words of gratitude that escaped her lips were barely a whisper but his sharp ears still caught them.

  
He stared at the woman now sitting on the floor next to Raph and couldn't help but smile. Behind his purple clad brother cleared his throat, "Go on and take the bike back to the lair. I'll take good care of these two."

  
Mikey gave his brother a cheeky grin and handed her off to Donnie before bounding down the street. Don watched him in amusement before turning his attention to the two patients. "What's your name?" He asked her as he sat her down on the floor of the truck.

  
She leaned her head back against the cool metal, "Natalie."

  
Donnie gave her hand a quick squeeze, "Don't worry Natalie I'll get you to a hospital where they'll take good care of you. I just need you to stay awake until then." Without waiting for a response he climbed into the driver's seat and started the truck. There was a slight jolt as it lurched forward.

  
"When Raph wakes up can you tell him I'm sorry?" Her words were still strained.

  
Donnie gave her a small but surprised smile. "Sure."

  
The rest of the journey passed in silence until Don pulled up to the hospital's Emergency Room entrance. "We're here. Let me help you up."

  
This time Natalie didn't protest as he helped her to her feet and opened the door for her. "Thank you, and thank your brother's for me too."

  
"Of course," He watched her hobble through the automatic doors and up to the receptionist's desk. Satisfied that she was safe he and Raph headed home.


	2. Chapter Two

Raph woke up on the couch feeling like he'd been hit by a bus. He eased himself up and began to examine his injuries. His right arm was bandaged and there were new scrapes across his plastron. He closed his eyes and tried to remember what had happened. It had been the first warm night in months so he'd decided to take the Shell Cycle for a ride. He was riding past the warehouse entrance to the old lair when there was a flash of bright light, after that nothing.

  
He groaned in frustration as the memories failed to surface. "Good morning Raphael," His father's warm familiar voice filled his ears. "It is good to see you awake and well."

"G'morning Master Splinter." Raph mumbled in his trademark Brooklyn accent. "What happened to me last night?"

  
The old rat handed him a mug of hot tea which Raph took without question "According to your brothers you were in a motorcycle accident. Donatello had to take a girl named Natalie to the hospital. Her injuries, it seems, were far worse than yours."

  
Startled Raph sat up completely and set his mug down on the coffee table. "What? How bad?"

  
Donatello walked up behind his brother and leaned against the back of the couch. "April and Casey checked on her this morning. She'll be fine but it's going to take a while for her injuries to heal. We're going to check on her tonight. I've got some questions I want to ask her."

  
"This for example." Leo joined Don and held out a flash drive in the shape of Mikey's head.

Raph took the flash drive from his brother's hand, "Well that's not something you see every day. What's on it?"

  
"No idea." Leo said as he took the flash drive back. "We wanted to wait until you were up so we could all look at it together."

  
Raph stood up carefully to not aggravate his injuries. "Well what are we waiting for? Let's check it out." He said as he headed towards the lab.

  
Seemingly out of nowhere Mikey popped up, "About time. You've been out for hours."

  
Raph shoved past his little brother, "Yeah, funny how being in an accident can do that."

  
"Enough you two," Leo admonished. "We've got more important things to do, like figuring out who this Natalie person is and where she came from."

  
The three of them crowded around Donnie's computer while the genius himself plugged in the drive, "Okay let's see what this baby has on it." Several neatly labeled folders showed up on the screen.

  
"TMNT Mirage Comics, TMNT Archie Comics, TMNT IDW Comics, TMNT '87 Cartoon, TMNT '03 Cartoon, TMNT 2012 Cartoon, TMNT Movies," Leo read each one aloud. "What is all this?"

  
Donnie clicked on the one labeled '03 cartoon. As he expected it was full of video files, all just as neatly marked as the folders. He clicked on the first one and a familiar voice came through the speakers. "My name is Leonardo, and right now my brothers and I are in massive trouble."

  
Everyone turned to the voice's shocked owner. "How…How is this possible?" His voice still came from the speakers creating an eerie overlay.

  
"I've got a theory." Donnie piped up.

  
Raph rolled his eyes, "Of course you do brainiac."

  
"Quiet Raph," Leo's sharp voice cut through the air. "What Don?"

  
"You guys remember when we met those other versions of ourselves and got transported to that Turtle Prime place? He said there were countless other dimensions, each with a different version of us." The purple clad turtle explained getting more animated as he went on. "What if Natalie is from a dimension where all of those versions of us exist as fictional characters? What if she accidently drove through a portal that landed her in our world?"

  
His brothers stared at him blankly, trying to process this information. "Dude's we've got ourselves a fan!" Mikey exclaimed. "This is so awesome! I wonder who her favorite turtle is. I bet it's me. Chicks always dig the funny one. Ow!" He rubbed the back of his head where Raph had slapped him.

  
Leo gave the pair another warning look which they both ignored. "Well, that would certainly explain why she wasn't scared of us. If you're right Don and she's from a different dimension, then she's going to need a place to stay once she's out of the hospital."

  
"Why doesn't she just stay here?" All eyes turned towards Raph. "What? If she's as hurt as you guys say, then she'll need help getting better and who better to help than Dr. Don? Plus, it'll give us a chance to learn more about this chick and how we can get her home."

  
"That's…actually not a bad plan." Donnie said, sounding slightly surprised.

  
Leo crossed his arms across his chest and leveled a serious gaze at his three younger brothers. "We should still run it by Master Splinter first to make sure he is comfortable with -"

  
"There is no need Leonardo." Splinter stood in the doorway of the lab, grasping his old walking stick for support. "Raphael is right. This girl will need a place to heal and she seems to know more about us than is safe. You will extend the offer to her." He gave his sons a finally serious but proud gaze before retreating to the couch to watch his stories.

  
The harsh fluorescent lights blinded Natalie as her eyes blinked open. "What…?" She struggled to prop herself up but her arm refused to cooperate. With the pain came the memories. The autumn road, the light, and the accident…She closed her eyes hoping it would block out the shame but it was no use. All her life she had dreamed of what it would be like to meet them. Now they would never want anything to do with her. Especially him, so strong, so proud, so much like her. She had ruined his precious Shell Cycle. Of course he wouldn't want anything to do with her.

  
Her gaze turned to the remote next to her. One to call the nurses, two to adjust the angle of the bed, one to pump more painkillers into her bloodstream. Her eyes lingered on the last one. She longed to forget everything that happened but she knew it would only be temporary. Harsh reality would creep back in as soon as the medication wore off. She thought of her mother, the immobile chronological liar. The woman who would sell out her own children to get her fix. Natalie shuddered at the thought at threw the remote aside. It was an accident she reassured herself. She would not give into shame.

  
Outside twilight turned to full dark and the lights illuminated the city she'd always dreamed of seeing. The sight was magical. She closed her eyes and imagined couples going to and from romantic dates, whispering in each other's ears. Others were working late in their offices, while still more preyed on the weak. In her mind's eye she saw the beauty and the barbarity that inhabited the city.

  
"Do you think she's asleep?" The voice didn't belong to any of the nurses but it was still familiar.

  
"Maybe we should come back later?" Natalie was positive she knew both those voices but she'd never heard them in person before.

  
"When? During the day? That's a great idea. Why don't we just wake her up and see what happens?"

  
That was it. Her favorite voice in the world was there and she couldn't contain herself. "Stop bickering. I'm awake."

  
To prove her point, she opened her eyes and looked at each one of the turtles without flinching. For an imperceptible moment her eyes rested on Raphael but they quickly moved on. "Good," said Leonardo, "You can tell us how you knew Michelangelo's name, and why there is videos and comics of us on your flash drive."

  
Her first instinct was to make a sarcastic comment but she forced it aside and gave him a serious answer. "I've been a fan of you four as long as I can remember." She paused briefly, letting the revelation sink in. "We had the original live action movies when I was a kid and I watched them all the time. I watched them so much my mom sold them because they got on her nerves. Then when I was twelve a new cartoon came out. I watched it every Saturday and have been…" It was embarrassing to admit but she refused to lie to the four men in front of her. "I've been obsessed ever since."

  
The whole world stood still as she waited for one of them to break the silence. "Dudes this is awesome! I told you we had a fan." Mikey's exuberance brought a relieved grin to her face. "Okay, I have to know. Who's your favorite turtle? It's me right?"

  
The smile didn't leave her face as she shook her head, ruby red hair falling in her face. "No good can come from me answering that question."

  
Stepping out from behind his brothers Raphael came to the forefront. "You're okay right?"

  
She wanted to respond but the fact that her hero was showing concern for her wellbeing made the words catch in her throat, "F-fine." The words came out in a stuttered, garbled mess and not for the first time Natalie wished she had a shell she could hide in.

  
Donatello came to the rescue, reaching for the chart that hung at the foot of her bed. "Patient was in a motor vehicle accident. She was not wearing a helmet or other protective gear. Diagnosis…" There was a slight pause as he skimmed her chart, "Concussion, luck for you your skull is not fractured but your shoulder, clavicle, humorous, and several ribs are broken. Not to mention road rash and internal bleeding."  
"I've had worse." She attempted a lighthearted smile but the serious faces staring at her made it fall quickly.

  
"You weren't wearing a helmet?" Raph accused.

  
"Not even a jacket?" Leo added.

  
Natalie bit her tongue. She refused to lash out at them. As uncomfortable as it felt they were only caring about her safety. The thought of someone actually caring made her tear up but she suppressed it. "It was too warm for a jacket and helmets aren't required by law where I was riding."

  
"You realize you could have died." There was Donnie's two cents. She'd been waiting for it.

  
"Yeah? What's your point?" As soon as the words left her mouth she regretted them. The look of shock and pity across the turtles' faces made her shrink into herself.

  
Leo sat down on the edge of her bed and placed a hand on her leg. "We know you're not from here. Once the doctor's say you can leave we want you to stay with us. At least until you're better."

  
Tears filled her eyes again as she looked at the blue banded face in front of her but she turned away to hide them. "Sure, sounds like a smart plan." Her gaze swept over the four brothers again, awestruck at the situation she found herself in. "I'm kind of tired. Maybe I should get some sleep."

  
"Of course." Donnie said, "We'll be back tomorrow to make sure you're okay."

  
"I appreciate it." She said with a smile. "Hey Mikey." The orange clad turtle halted at the sound of his name. "You should check out the black flash drive. There's a bunch of comics on it I'm sure you'll like."

  
He broke out in a wide grin, "Thanks dudette!" With a final thumbs up he disappeared out the window with the rest of his brothers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the first two chapters aren't the best but I promise the writing and story do get better later on. Currently I have seven chapters written and chapter eight is coming along well. Once finals are over this weekend I will have a lot more time to devote to working on this project. As always suggestions, comments, and criticism is welcome. Thanks for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

The four turtles stood just inside Natalie's hospital room staring at the empty bed. "They wouldn't have released her so early would they?" Mikey asked.

Donnie walked over to the bed and picked up the chart hanging off the edge, "No. It says here she had surgery today. Unless she signed an AMA she should be here resting."

"What the hell is an AMA?" Raph asked.

"Against Medical Advice." Donnie stated. "It's a form patients can sign if they want to leave the hospital before the doctors think they're ready to go home."

Silence filled the room as the brothers considered the possibility of an injured woman wandering around the unfamiliar city. "You don't think she'd actually do that do you Don?" Leo asked, his voice equal parts curiosity and concern.

Donnie shook his head and hung the chart back up, "I don't know. She seemed like she really didn't want to be here."

"No way." Raphael shoved his way past Mikey, "We have all her stuff and you heard the way she talked about us. There's no way she'd just leave without a word."

The other three stared at him, unsure how to respond. Out of the corner of his eye Leo saw the doorknob to the bathroom turn. Silently he alerted the other three and they melted back into the shadows.

Natalie stumbled out from behind the door, her injured arm held against her chest with crisp white bandages. Donatello waited until she had eased herself down into the bed before emerging from hiding, "What are you doing out of bed?"

She jumped and let out a small scream. "Jesus Christ Don, little warning next time would be nice." While Natalie focused on getting her heart rate down to a normal level the others came out from their hiding spaces.

Leo looked down at her with his trademark stern look that was usually reserved for Raph, "Don's right. You should be resting not walking around by yourself."

His crossed arms and disapproval were more than she could take. "Relax Leo. I don't need help taking a piss." She said matching his stare. Realizing that the challenge would serve no good she backed down. "But I'm guessing you didn't drop by to chastise me."

"No we didn't," Donnie interjected, "We think we know how to get you home." He waited for an enthusiastic response but was met with a cold stare. "The Daimyo has access to all the different dimensions, he can use his staff to help get you back to your own dimension."

Natalie raised her good hand in the air, "Or here's an idea, we could not do that."

"Wait what?" Mikey stared at her in confusion.

"You don't want to go home? What about your friends and family?" Raph asked.

The woeful look he gave her was more than Natalie could take. She averted her eyes and stared at the tile floor instead. "Trust me, no one will even notice I'm gone. Except maybe my agent who probably will assume I fell of a mountain or pissed of the wrong person and got murdered or something."

"So you've really got no one?" Leo couldn't believe what he was hearing, "No parents, not even a sibling."

Natalie's head snapped up and she flashed him a murderous look that was gone as suddenly as it came, "None that matter." She turned her attention to Donnie, "Will my staying in this dimension have any adverse effects?"

He shifted uncomfortably under her intense gaze. "I don't think so. We've been to different dimensions before and it didn't seem to do any harm."

"Great then it's settled, I stay here and you don't need to worry about sending me home. Don't worry, as soon as I'm healed I'll be out of your metaphorical hair." Natalie settled against the pillows and closed her eyes waiting for the sound of the window sliding shut.

Master Splinter sat on the floor pretending to meditate when he heard the unmistakable sound of eight feet on the stone floor. "How did she take the news my sons?"

"Not well Sensei," Leo admitted.

"Yeah, she got kind of angry and sad when we told her." Raph said.

Donnie walked over to his computer in the lab and grabbed the carabiner of flash drives and plugged in the green one. "What did she mean by only her agent would miss her?" Mikey asked.

Only paying half attention to the conversation Don opened up one of the documents and began skimming. "I know why. She's a travel writer."

"A what now?" Raph and Mikey asked together.

"A travel writer." Don said again, "She goes on trips to different places and writes about her experiences. This whole drive is full of books, notes, videos, and pictures. She must have been talking about her book agent."

In a flash Mikey was at his side reading over his shoulder, "Cool! We can read about them and learn about what things are like where she comes from. Ow!" He rubbed his head where Raph smacked him.

Natalie stared at the ceiling waiting for a nurse to hustle into her room. Right on queue an overworked and underpaid nurse rushed in. "What do you need?" The nurse asked hastily.

"I'd like to sign an AMA," Natalie stated.

"You're sure?" The nurse asked before launching into a long lecture about how imprudent signing herself out against the doctor's wishes was. Natalie didn't hear a word of it as she struggled to put on the clothes she came in with. The unlucky nurse gave in and brought in the form.

Natalie filled it out and signed at the bottom. "Thank you," She said as she handed the form back.

The nurse simply glared at her, "Will you be needing a wheelchair miss?"

"Just a crutch will be fine." Natalie requested, ignoring the nurse's scorn. She waited patiently on the bed for the nurse to return. When she did Natalie only had one question, "Where is the nearest hostel?"

April and Casey arrived the following morning. She walked up to the receptionist at the front desk, "Good morning. I'm here to see Natalie Mills."

The receptionist typed the name into the computer, "I'm sorry ma'am but Ms. Mills left last night."

April gave the secretary an indignant look, "What do you mean she left?"

With a few clicks the receptionist double checked, "I mean she signed herself out last night and walked out of those doors on her own two feet."

"Well can you at least tell us where she went?" She asked.

The receptionist shook her head, "I'm sorry but without a personal representative form I can't disclose any information regarding the patient."

"She's not just a patient!" Casey exclaimed getting right in the receptionist's face, "She a friend of ours who is wandering around this city injured, with no money, no identification, and no idea where she's going! How could you let her walk out of here in that condition? What kind of hospital is this?"

The receptionist stared back at his unfazed by his outburst. "Sir, everything was done according to protocol and if you don't calm yourself then you'll be escorted from the premises."

April noticed that two security guards were already staring at them, "Casey she's not here. Let's go just go tell the guys and see if they can help track her down." She guided him out the hospital and into the van.

Half an hour later they were standing in the lair staring at four dumbfounded faces. "She just...left? But why? Where would she go?" Leo asked.

Donnie rubbed his chin in thought before walking over to his computer, "I have an idea. In her books she writes about spending a lot of time in hostels and homeless shelters. So..." He pulled up a map of the area around the hospital on his computer, "...That's where we start looking. She can't have gone far so the ones closest to the hospital are probably our best bet."

"Great work Don," Leo praised, "So we split up and check these places out."

"What do we do when we find her?" Mikey asked.

"We figure out why she ran and then bring her back here whether she likes it or not." Raph countered forcefully, "Now what are we still standing around for?" Donnie handed each of them a list of shelters to check out and they went their separate ways.

Warm spring air brushed across Raph's skin as he looked down at the dilapidated shelter. Every other one on his list had been a bust and he only hoped that the others were having better luck. Below the door to the alley creaked open and out stepped Natalie propelling herself forward with a crutch. He watched as she leaned against the brick wall. With one fluid motion he lept down the fire escape and landed in front of her. "So this is where you've been hiding. You know we've been looking all over the city for you."

"I'm sorry." She said, her voice barely above a whisper, "I know I shouldn't have left. It's just...I really hate hospitals. Lying there in bed drugged up and helpless." Despite the warm night she shivered.

Gently he placed his hand on her good shoulder, "Hey, I understand. After all the times I've wound up on a dissection table about to be cut in to I'm not too fond of them either. So I'll tell you what, I won't make you go back there if you agree to come to the lair where Donnie can look after you instead."

She smiled up at him, "It's a deal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is shortest and most poorly written chapter. I promise after this it gets a whole lot better.
> 
> Sorry for not posting on Saturday like normal. Between finals and the flu it's been a pretty crazy week. Good news though, I'm done with school for the year and will have a lot more time to dedicate to writing. Chapter eight is still a work in progress but I hope to finish this week and stay ahead of the game.


	4. Chapter Four

"You ready?" Raphael asked Natalie as they stood in front of the metal door to the lair.

She couldn't suppress a smirk as she stared straight ahead, "I was born ready." With a press of a button the door slid open and Raph led her inside and for the first time in her life Natalie was speechless. On the ground floor was the dojo and Raphael's punching bag. Above them was the entertainment center and on the other side of the upper floor was Donnie's lab, the kitchen, and a hallway which she assumed led to the bedrooms.

Master Splinter stepped forward, "Welcome to our home Ms. Mills."

Natalie gave the best attempt at a bow that she could, "Master Splinter, it's an honor to meet you."

"The honor is mine young one. It is nice to see my sons being met the admiration rather than fear for a change. Michelangelo is particularly excited to have you with us."

Raph looked around the empty lair, "Yeah where is that knucklehead anyway? I let the guys know we were on our way home."

"I'm sure they'll be along soon my son. In the meantime why don't you show our guest where she will be staying?"

"Sure thing Sensei." Raph led Natalie into the back of the lair, "We put you next to Don's room in case you had any problems." He stopped in front of a wood door at the front of the hall and opened it. Crammed inside the room was a small bed, night stand, and dresser. In the middle of the floor were her bags. "Your bike is upstairs in the garage next to mine."

Natalie cringed at the mention of the battered machines. "Yeah about that, if there's anything I can do to help you fix yours just ask. I can't work a wrench too well right now but I can get you parts and stuff."

"Don't worry about it. Besides pounding on thugs working on the Shell Cycle is one of my favorite things. I'm going to let you get settled in. Don will probably be in to check on you when he gets back." Realizing that she needed her rest Raph left her to get settled in.

Natalie sat down on the bed and slipped off her boots, placing them next to the night stand. "Thanks Raph, for everything, and I promise you don't need to worry about me leaving in the dead of night again. There's nowhere else in the multiverse I'd rather be."

He gave her a nod, "No problem, and in a house of five ninjas you couldn't sneak out of here if you wanted to." Natalie worked up a retort but he shut the door before the words could leave her mouth. As she sat on the bed marveling at her good fortune the events of the past couple days caught up with her and she flopped down on the pillows.

When Don, Leo, and Mikey returned home Raph was watching TV on the couch. "What took you guys so long?"

"Sorry Raph," said Don, "Mikey insisted on stopping for ice cream. Did you get Natalie settled in okay?"

"Yeah, and she promised to stay put this time." Raph replied, not taking his eyes off the screen.

Donnie nodded and walked back to her room. She was curled up in the fetal position on top of the covers. The steady rise and fall of her chest told him she was fast asleep. Careful not to wake her he backed out of the room and eased the door closed. "How is she Don?" Leo asked.

"Out like a light. I'll check on her in the morning. Right now I think she's got the right idea." He yawned for effect and headed to his own room for the night. One by one each member of the Hamato family retired to bed and a quiet calm filled the lair.

The cold seeped into Natalie's skin and she opened her eyes to find herself looking up at a bright white light. She opened her mouth to scream but water filled her lungs instead. Panic welled up inside her and she tried to swim towards the surface but the pain from her shoulder was paralyzing. The light got further away as she sank deeper until it was gone entirely and she found herself surrounded by darkness.

Natalie stifled a scream of fear and pain as she bolted upright in head. She looked around the unfamiliar room and remembered. The cold was just from the stone walls around her and the only water to be found was the sweat dripping from her face. She took a few tentative breaths, half expecting it to be unforgiving water instead of sweet oxygen. Just a dream, it was just a dream. The mantra played on repeat in her head as she changed into a pair of black pajama pants and a white camisole before getting back into bed, under the covers this time. She laid awake listening to the unfamiliar sounds of water rushing through pipes and a subway rumbling nearby. Clutching a small teddy bear to her chest she drifted off to sleep again pretending that she was hearing the soft pitter pat of rain and chirping crickets.

The next morning she trudged into the kitchen to find everyone else awake. Stifling a groan she lowered herself into a chair and gazed around the room with half closed eyes. "Morning princess. Sleep okay?" A familiar gravelly voice asked.

"Yeah peachy," She croaked.

Raph snickered at her word choice and sat down next to her. "Holy shit you look like-"

"Shit? Thanks." She looked up to see Leo putting bread in the toaster and looked on with surprised interest when it popped up unburnt without breaking the toaster. "Huh, so small appliances aren't your mortal enemy.

Leo stopped buttering his toast and turned to her, one eye brow raised, "Come again?"

Try as she might she couldn't stifle a laugh, "Sorry. It's just, for whatever reason there's this head canon that a lot of fans back home have that every time you use the toaster is breaks. I don't know how it started it's just funny."

"Wait hold up. Just how popular are we there?" Mikey asked getting right in her face.

Natalie tried to scoot her chair back but couldn't muster the strength, "Uhh, pretty big. You don't get three cartoons and six movies without being the world's favorite mutants. You're even more popular than the X-Men, which is saying a lot."

"Hang on a second," Donnie said, "If there's so many different versions of us then how do you know which universe you're in?"

"Simple. Each version of you guys looks different and this one," She gestured around the lair with her good arm, "Was always my favorite. Just the right amount of comedy and action and the villains were more interesting, less incompetent."

Mikey snapped his fingers, heedless of the fact that he was still mere inches from Natalie, "Dudes, I've got a great idea. Why don't we have a turtle marathon?"

Raph pushed himself away from the table, "No thanks. The one time we met those shell heads from that lame ass dimension is enough for me."

"I'll watch it with you Mikey." Natalie said, squeezing herself out of her chair, "And after I can introduce you to Captain America."

Before she could take two steps towards the couch Donnie stepped in front of her. "That can wait. First, you've got an appointment with Dr. Donatello."

Natalie snorted as she allowed him to lead her to his lab, "And somewhere a thousand fangirls just swooned."

"What did you just say?"

She gave Donnie her most innocent smile, "Nothing. Lead the way doctor."

He led her to a cold, steel examination table and helped her up. "So how are you feeling?" He asked.

A withering glance in his direction gave him his answer, "I slept like shit, I feel like shit, and according to Raph I look like shit."

Don didn't give her venomous tirade the dignity of a response. Instead he pulled out a small tool that looked like an orthodontist's UV light and hovered it over her shoulder. "Your doctors did a great job pinning your shoulder back together." He moved the pen across her upper and lower arm next. "Titanium rod in the humerus, good choice. Ribs are healing nicely. Have you been taking the painkillers they gave you?"

Natalie pushed him out of the way and slid off the table, almost falling over in the process, "And we're done here." Without another word she stormed out of the lab and straight into something short and furry, "Master Splinter! Forgive me, I didn't know you were there."

The wizened rat narrowed his eyes, "No you did not. Follow me Miss Mills, there is much we need to discuss."

Her heart in her throat she followed Master Splinter to his room. He knelt down across from her, leaning heavily on his walking stick and she struggled to follow suit. Tired, black eyes bored into her, "My sons tell me that you have no wish to return to your home dimension."

"No sir, I don't." There was a finality in her voice that reminded him of his eldest son. "If my staying here will cause any trouble then I will find new accommodations."

For what felt like eons he simply stared at her. "You're welcome to stay as long as you want but you truly have no friends, no family?" There was paternal concern in his voice that he didn't bother hiding.

Natalie met his gaze with cold eyes, "I'm dead to them and they are dead to me."

Master Splinter searched for an ounce of pain or regret but only found conviction. "Very well, in that case there is another matter of great importance that I must make sure you fully understand. Your knowledge of us would prove invaluable to our enemies should they know of your existence. We would not allow you in our home if we did not trust you but your presence puts all of us, including yourself in grave danger."

Every muscle in her body tensed up. "Rest assured Master Splinter, I would sooner die than betray your family. For decades your sons have given me inspiration and strength and I owe them more than I can repay. I would not be the person I am today if it wasn't for them. If your family is willing to take the risk then so am I."

"Very well then, you may go." He watched her struggled to her feet and wondered how someone so young could be so hard.

The four brothers were waiting for her as she closed Master Splinter's door. "So how'd it go?" Leo asked, just a hint of smugness in his voice.

"It was fine." She turned to Donnie, "I'm sorry about earlier. I just have this thing about taking pain medicine. We're good right?"

Don clapped her on the shoulder. "Sure, just don't be so dramatic next time."

Mikey popped up from his spot on the couch. "So you ready for that turtle marathon?"

She looked around at her new friends and felt herself smiling for the first time in forever, "You bet."

**Author's Note:**

> Any comments, suggestions, and constructive criticisms are welcome. I have the first six chapters written already and will be posting them weekly, after that I can't guarantee frequent or regular updates. However, I assure you that this story is always in the forefront of my mind and I will not forget about it. It just takes me a very long time to work out exactly what I want to happen in each chapter and how to word it. And I do promise the chapters get longer later on.


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